Piston ring compressor



Feb. 28, 1967 J. P. MASSEY 3,305,920

PISTON RING COMPRESSOR Filed Feb. 5, 1965 INVENTOR. James P! Massey 47'TOPNEY5 United States Patent 3,305,920 PISTON RING COMPRESSOR James P. Massey, 2620 Jasmine Ave., Stockton, Calif. 95207 Filed Feb. 3, 1965, Ser. No. 429,994 2 Claims. (Cl. 29222) This invention relates generally to devices for compressing rings on a piston prior to the insertion of the latter into the related cylinder, and particularly to a device initially designed for use in connection with multiple-ring pistons as used in internal combustion engines.

The major object of this invention is to provide a piston ring compressor so constructed that the rings, after being placed on the piston, may be quickly and easily compressed into the respective piston grooves so as to be flush with the outer wall of the piston, and the latter then slid into the cylinder while maintaining the rings thus compressed until each ring in turn passes into the cylinder.

Another object of the invention is to construct the piston ring compressor so that it is adaptable for pistons of different sizes, and may be adjusted to a selected size with a minimum of time and effort.

An additional object of the invention is to provide a piston ring compressor which is designed for ease and economy of manufacture, and convenience of use.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a practical, reliable, and durable piston ring compressor and one which is exceedingly effective for the purpose for which it is designed.

These objects are accomplished by means of such structure and relative arrangement of parts as will fully appear by a perusal of the following specification and claims.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of the improved piston ring compressor.

FIG. 2 is a bottom plan view of the same.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary top plan view of the compressor, with the cap plate of the casing removed.

FIG. 4 is a sectional elevation of the compressor, taken on line 44 of FIG. 3, and showing a piston in the compressor as being inserted into a cylinder.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings and t the characters of reference marked thereon, the piston ring compressor comprises a flexible but resilient metal band 1 of a height somwehat less than the axial extent of a piston P to be engaged, and considerably longer than the circumferential extent of such piston.

One end of the band 1 is fixed, as at 2, to the periphery of a rigid substantially cylindrical casing 3 having a circular socket 4 therein, and which socket extends from the solid bottom 5 of the casing to the initially open upper end thereof. The depth of the socket 4 is only slightly greater than the height of the band 1; the latter being horizontally alined with said socket. The casing 3 is disposed immediately adjacent and in diametral alinement with the band 1, as shown in FIG. 2.

The other end portion of the band 1 enters the socket 4 through a generally tangential slot 6 in the side of the casing 3 immediately beyond the fixed end 2 of the band, and is wrapped, as at 7, about a spool 8 which is centered in and of considerably smaller size than the socket 4. The wrapped end portion 7 of the band is secured to the periphery of the spool, as at 9.

The spool 8 is turnably mounted on a central clamping bolt 10 screwed into the casing bottom 5 and provided with a head 11 which bears against a somewhat larger, preferably square head 12 on the upper end of the spool; both of said heads being adapted for separate wrench engagement. In connection with this feature, the opposite sides of the casing 3 are flattened, as shown at 13, for vise engagement and which holds the casing stationary while the spool 8 or clamping bolt 10 is being turned for initial setting of the device. The top of socket 4 is closed by a cap plate 14 secured to the casing 3 and through which cap plate the head 12 projects; said cap plate preventing vertical movement of the spool 8.

The portion of band 1 outside the casing 3 assumes a circular or loop form of substantially 360 degrees in extent, and such loop portion is adapted to surround a piston P in the manner and for the purpose hereinafter described.

Slidably mounted on and extending about the circular or loop portion of the band 1 is a plurality of upstanding, circumferentially spaced fingers 15 which are considerably longer than the height of the band and project above the latter.

Each finger 15 comprises a straight portion 16 which closely engages the inner face of the band for its full height and extends a short distance below the same, and an outwardly sloping portion 17 of consider-able length above the band as clearly shown.

The fingers 15 are held against vertical and lateral movement relative to the band 1 by means of tabs 18 struck from the fingers above and below the band 1 and closely engaging the outside of the band at the top and bottom thereof. The tabs 18 are arranged so as to have a somewhat close fit against the band so that while the fingers may be slidably adjusted about the band, a certain amount of pressure is required to so move said fingers, and they will not tend to alter their positions of themselves.

In use of the compressor as described above, the piston P-with the rings R mounted thereonis inserted in the loop portion of band 1 from the upper end thereof and until the lower unringed portion of the piston passes beyond the sloping finger portions 17. The spool 8 is then turned in a direction to cause the band 1 to be contracted so that the piston P is closely but not clampingly engaged by the straight portions 16 of the fingers 15 and which portions are parallel to each other.

Following this, the clamping bolt 10 is tightened to prevent retractive rotation of the spool 8 and a resulting loosening of the band 1. The piston P is then further depressed into or advanced through the band until the lower end thereof projects below the finger portions 16. In this position of the piston, the rings R thereof have moved down and been compressed by the converging finger portions 17 and engaged by the straight parallel finger portions 16 so as to be flush with the piston, as shown in FIG. 4.

The exposed lower end of the piston is then inserted into the related cylinder C of the engine block B, and the lower ends of the fingers 15 are engaged with, and the compressor as a whole thus supported by, the upper surface of said block B.

Thereafter, the piston is further pressed down until it is clear of the fingers and enters the cylinder; the piston rings R remaining compressed until they move below the fingers and are received in the cylinder and at which time they are free to expand and engage the cylinder Wall.

Once the compressor is set or adjusted to one piston of a set, the device may be successively used-without adjustmentfor placement of each of the remaining pistons of such set.

The purpose of having the fingers 15 slidably rather than fixedly mounted on the band 1 is so that said fingers may be reset to substantially evenly spaced positions on the loop portion of the band upon adjustment of the latter for use with different sized pistons. With the fingers thus positioned, the piston rings will always be engaged and compressed With an even pressure throughout their extent.

It may be noted that by reason of the slot 6 through Patented eb. 28, 1967 which the band 1 projects to engage the spool 8, the

metal of the casing at the side of the slot opposite the band end 2 forms a guide for the adjacent portion of the band upon adjusting movement thereof.

From the foregoing description, it will be readily seen that there has been produced such a piston ring compressor as substantially fulfil-ls the objects of the invention, as set forth herein.

While this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferred construction of the piston ring compressor, still in practice such deviations from such detail may be resorted to as do not form a departure from the spirit of the invention, as defined by the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, the following is claimed as new and useful and upon which Letters Patent is desired:

1. A piston ring compressor comprising a flexible band having separated ends, the band being adapted to surround a piston and having piston ring engaging fingers thereon, a casing disposed exteriorly of the band and to one side of which the band at one end is secured, the casing being formed with a socket deeper than and alined With the band and having a full-depth slot to one side of and immediately adjacent the secured end of the band, a spool in the socket parallel to the band, the other end of the band extending through the slot and into the socket and being secured to the spool for wrapping of the adjacent portion of the band therea-bout, means turnably mounting the spool in the socket, means to rotate the spool from exteriorly of the casing, and means provided with the spool mounting means to clamp the spool against rotation.

2. A piston ring compressor, as in claim 1, in which said spool mounting means comprises an axial bolt in the casing and on which bolt the spool is turnable; said spool rotating means comprises a head on the spool projecting from the upper end of the casing and adapted for wrench engagement; and said spool clamping means comprises a head on the bolt above the spool head, said bolt being adjustably threaded into the casing for axial adjustment whereby the bolt head may be moved into or out of clamping engagement with the spool head upon rotation of the bolt in one direction or the other.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,544,974 7/1925 Gillis 29222 1,849,532 3/1932 McDevitt 29-222 2,697,870 12/1954 Zucker 29-222 WILLIAM FELDMAN, Primary Examiner.

J. C. PETERS, Examiner. 

1. A PISTON RING COMPRESSOR COMPRISING A FLEXIBLE BAND HAVING SEPARATED ENDS, THE BAND BEING ADAPTED TO SURROUND A PISTON AND HAVING PISTON RING ENGAGING FINGERS THEREON, A CASING DISPOSED EXTERIORLY OF THE BAND AND TO ONE SIDE OF WHICH THE BAND AT ONE END IS SECURED, THE CASING BEING FORMED WITH A SOCKET DEEPER THAN AND ALINED WITH THE BAND AND HAVING A FULL-DEPTH SLOT TO ONE SIDE OF AND IMMEDIATELY ADJACENT THE SECURED END OF THE BAND, A SPOOL IN THE SOCKET PARALLEL TO THE BAND, THE OTHER END OF THE BAND EXTENDING THROUGH THE SLOT AND INTO THE SOCKET AND BEING SECURED TO THE SPOOL FOR WRAPPING OF THE ADJACENT PORTION OF THE BAND THEREABOUT, MEANS TURNABLY MOUNTING THE SPOOL IN THE SOCKET, MEANS TO ROTATE THE SPOOL FROM EXTERIORLY OF THE CASING, AND MEANS PROVIDED WITH THE SPOOL MOUNTING MEANS TO CLAMP THE SPOOL AGAINST ROTATION. 